The History of the Crystal Ball

From the Druids' early days of divination to (sometimes) eerily accurate political consulting, the backstory of the crystal ball is as cloudy and roundabout as the divine orb itself.

The crystal ball is as pervasive as it is mysterious. It's displayed in the window of your local psychic; it makes an appearance in movies, books, and pop culture; for those moments when you need a touch of the clairvoyant in your texts, it's even on your smartphone screen. But how it earned its seductive presence is less clear than the pasts and futures it purports to predict.

We see science fiction becoming reality all the time, but of all the sci-fi conceits around, societies that store all their information (and giant holograms of Marlon Brando) in glowing “data crystals” seemed to be especially kitschy and out there. Not anymore, as scientists at the UK’s University of Southampton have successfully demonstrated the ability to record and retrieve optical data on glass using five-dimensional laser techniques, calling their project the ‘Superman’ memory crystal. What’s more, this technology stands to provide a way for us to store data in massive quantities for a “practically unlimited lifetime.”

You’ve all heard of the ancient crystal skulls and the stories that they supposedly contain a repository of knowledge.. Well, the scientists at hitachi may have just revived an ancient advanced technology. It has been said throughout history that the crystal skulls contain ancient knowledge possibly dating back to the time of Atlantis, or even further.

Information on a grand scale. The skulls are said to contain the answers to human evolution, universal information, planetary information, and most valuable of all, humankind’s destiny and true purpose. The legend claims that at a time of great need, the skulls will be discovered and reunited. The information they provide will save the human race. The legend forewarns, however, that mankind must be able to accept the knowledge morally and spiritually.